Ryne Weiss
Research Manager
Research Team
Ryne graduated with general honors from the University of Chicago in 2014 with a B.A. in Classics and an emphasis on Latin and Greek. As a student, he was a DJ for poetry events. After graduating, he worked as a sound engineer in the Chicago area. His passion for protecting free scholarship, artistic freedom, and students’ right to protest brought him to FIRE in 2016. Ryne’s interests include movies, music, and video games, in addition to more niche things like giant robots and pro wrestling. In 2013, he captained a winning team in the world’s largest scavenger hunt.
Recent Writings
- In wake of Buffalo shooting, New York AG’s livestreaming policy recommendations threaten First Amendment rights,
- Censoring the technologies of free expression,
- Calling all free speech scholars! Just one week left to apply for FIRE’s inaugural Free Inquiry Grant program,
- FIRE launches 2022 Free Inquiry Grant program offering $150,000 to support research on free speech,
- By delaying free speech survey in response to criticism, University of Wisconsin System errs,
- ‘The Mind of the Censor and the Eye of the Beholder’ introduces a new generation to the infamous (and often absurd) Anthony Comstock,
- ‘A Glorious Liberty’ by Damon Root, Marvel Comics’ wonderfully weird start, & the redemption of Carly Rae Jepsen: The July 2021 Prestigious Awards,
- 13 important points in the campus & K-12 ‘critical race theory’ debate,
- John McWhorter’s ‘Nine Nasty Words’ is my May book of the month — with a serious digression into academic freedom & teaching about epithets,
- Catching up with ‘Coddling’ part thirteen: The misuse of Title IX still threatens free speech on campus,
- Catching up with ‘Coddling’ part twelve: Protecting the brand and apolitical censorship — The 'big middle' of FIRE’s cases,
- Catching up with ‘Coddling’ part eight: Some big wins for free play and childhood independence,
- Catching up with ‘Coddling’ part seven: The #MustListen Kate Julian interview, 'Runaway Homophily,' and the second 'Coddling' Caveat,
- Fleabag, Noom, the Future of Freedom, & ‘Censorship Gravity’,
- The NYPost & Twitter Crash Into 'The Streisand Effect,' 'Censorship Envy,' and 'the Slippery Slope Tendency',
- Catching up with ‘Coddling’ part three: ‘Right-on-Left’ censorship is still a thing on campus,
- (Gasp) Conservatives on Campus Problems & Cancel Culture,
- Greg’s Nowhere Near Definitive Outrage/Call-Out/Cancel Culture Study List,
- Greg’s Recommended Free Speech Culture Study List,
- Atheists beware: a new lawsuit tries to turn the Establishment Clause into a blasphemy law for college professors,
- Campus cancel culture: what you need to know — past, present, and future,
- “Frequently asked” questions: What is the ‘Eternally Radical Idea’ blog all about?,
- Harvard enacts problematic policies for controversial speakers,
- Trinity College administration recognizes ‘Churchill Club,’ even as student government votes to deny recognition,
- Catholic University of America student government passes resolution banning top 200 porn sites,
- Texas State University student government introduces resolution demanding TPUSA be banned from campus,
- Root for free speech during March Madness this year,
- UPDATE: Augsburg professor removed from classroom for discussion of racial slur will return to teaching,
- FIRE calls on Augsburg University to reinstate professor suspended for in-class discussion about racial slur,
- The problem with porn filters,
- Wisconsin system president reprimands UW La Crosse Chancellor for Free Speech Week talk by porn star,
- Notre Dame students demand porn filters for campus internet, citing 'red light' policy,
- FIRE to Congress: Harvard blacklist policy shut down women’s organizations,
- Southern New Hampshire University demands student groups give up social media passwords,
- Create original art for FIRE, win a $200 Amazon gift card,
- Harvard sorority closes down due to sanctions policy,
- Cal Poly suspends all Greek organizations after controversies at two fraternities,
- University of Rochester may subject single gender organizations to arbitrary waiver process,
- University police surveil student social media in attempt to make campus safer,
- Freedom of association officially dead at Harvard,
- Using grant from FIRE, Harvard College Open Campus Initiative hosts discussion on campus censorship,
- sp!ked: Censorship on UK’s university campuses “remains rampant”,
- UPDATE: Wisconsin Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal from fired Marquette University professor,
- Harvard Corporation finalizes single-gender organization sanctions policy,
- Florida State University suspends free speech and freedom of assembly until further notice,
- With disappointing vote, Harvard faculty officially reject freedom of association,
- Don’t be fooled, Harvard is not ‘back-pedaling’,
- Louisiana State University suspends free speech and freedom of assembly “until further notice”,
- Professor rightly cautions Cornell on celebrating its FIRE due process rating,
- Shocking twist: Harvard club ban had only 7 votes from 27-member committee,
- Harvard committee proposes banning all social clubs; punishing violators,
- Princeton's president reiterates support for free expression, peaceful protest,
- The bell tolls for Harvard President Drew Faust — not the Liberty Bell!,
- Harvard president defends free speech in commencement speech; Harvard still actively suppresses student rights,
- University of Rochester student government cracks down on single-gender organizations, gendered language,
- In latest ‘heckler’s veto,’ rabbi’s speech at Cañada College interrupted,
- Harvard anti-gender discrimination policy threatens to violate Title IX by recommending gender discrimination,
- Faculty motion against Harvard blacklist policy kicked to committee led by policy’s architect,
- Harvard blacklist saga gets even more unbelievable as dean appoints self to review self,
- Harvard dean: I will implement ‘nearly all’ of super blacklist,
- Original Harvard blacklist committee: How can we make this worse?,
- UC Berkeley Chancellor Condemns Calls for Violence, Reiterates Support for Free Speech,
- Harvard’s Troubled History with Free Association: Part 2,
- Harvard’s Troubled History with Free Association: Part 1,
- Get to Know New FIRE Staffers: Kelsey Naughton, Data Analyst,
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